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According to results of a systematic review presented at the AES Annual Meeting 2017, lacosamide may be a safe and effective add-on treatment option for pediatric patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsy.
To assess the efficacy and safety of lacosamide in the pediatric population, the study authors searched various electronic databases for studies published between January 2008 and January 2017. Efficacy and adverse events attributed to lacosamide were extracted using a standardized assessment. The primary endpoint of the review was efficacy of lacosamide in children, defined as being under 21 years.
A total of 175 abstracts were identified and screened. Twenty-six articles with a total of 797 patients were found to meet all eligibility criteria put forth by the study authors. Most of the studies obtained were retrospective in design and included a small population.
“The success seizure free rate in drug-resistant epilepsy is around 24%; on average 51% of patients had 50% or greater seizure reduction,” reported the authors. Additionally, it was found that 18 to 59% of patients experienced adverse effects. The most commonly reported adverse events included dizziness, sedation, gastrointestinal upset, and change in mood and behavior.
As lacosamide was found to be effective, safe, and associated with a low to moderate risk of adverse effects, it may be a good add-on treatment option for pediatric patients with focal drug-resistant epilepsies, concluded the researchers.
Visit MPR‘s conference section for more coverage of AES 2017.
Reference
Ortiz-De la Rosa S, Ladino D, Rodriguez PJ, Polania JP, Rueda MC, Castañeda A. Lacosamide in children and adolescents with drug-resistant epilepsy and refractory status epilepticus: A systemic review. Presented at AES annual meeting in Washington, DC. Abstract: 2.320.
